You’re at home. And that means that everything you need to procrastinate is readily within reach. You could do your work. Or you could: Fix the garage door. Bake a pie. Binge through Netflix. Play with your dog.
Many people find home offices detrimental to their productivity because there are simply so many opportunities to procrastinate. But that doesn’t mean procrastination is inevitable; it’s just a challenge. Here are a few ways that you can beat the procrastination without having to pack up and go to the office.
1. Ask Yourself Why You Procrastinate
Are you loathe to get into an argument with a coworker or supervisor? Do you feel uncertain about your skills in this particular area? Are you simply stressed and frustrated, and want to do something more “fun”? You can beat procrastination by answering why you procrastinate.
Consider: You might be procrastinating because you’re overwhelmed, and it may be time to delegate your tasks. You may be procrastinating because you’re conflict-averse, and you need to find a way to communicate with someone else more effectively. Or you might be procrastinating because you aren’t sure you’re doing things right, and you might just need a mentor. People rarely procrastinate for no reason at all.
2. Always Keep Moving
If you’re not enamored with one task, why not try another? It’s important to be consistently working, so you don’t just find yourself killing time. When procrastinating on one task, try to complete other, simpler, and easier tasks. That way, you’re at least accomplishing something. By the time you loop around to the original task, you may not even remember why you were procrastinating on it anymore.
Procrastination is complicated. It can become a feedback loop: You feel bad about procrastinating, so you procrastinate even more. But if you break the cycle, you can start approaching your tasks with a healthier outlook.
3. Take Small Steps
Sometimes procrastination occurs because the project simply feels too large. Don’t try to tackle a huge project all at once. Rather, break the project into smaller steps, and try to tackle just one. This will give you firmer footing with the project (after all, you’ve started!), and it will help you address any specific issues you’re experiencing moving forward.
4. Build Accountability
Are there deadlines for your project? Are you concerned about when the final deliverable will be met? Build accountability by having a solid time frame during which the project has to be completed. If the project isn’t completed during that time, you should ask yourself why, and what additional resources you need to get the job done. If you have a good relationship with a supervisor, let them know you’re struggling with deadlines and that you could use additional help.
5. Eliminate Distractions
Procrastination doesn’t have to be deep. It can also happen just because there are other things to do around you. Remove distractions from your home office. Shut your door when you’re working, maintain office hours, and remove anything that isn’t work-related from your office and desk. You can even set your computer so that you can’t visit recreational websites during specific hours.
6. Avoid Perfection
Don’t let “perfect” become the enemy of “good.” If you’re lingering on projects because you’re trying to perfect them, consider that it may be better to simply get the job done. Perfection is an excellent goal, but that doesn’t mean that you should pursue it above all else. Procrastinating can occur because you’re trying to reach standards that simply cannot be realistically achieved. In this scenario, you might need to take a step back from your projects and review them.
7. Remove Any Disruptions
Your family needs to know that they aren’t to bother you at all when you’re working. Otherwise, it becomes very easy to procrastinate because there are other issues you need to address. Whether you can call a family meeting or you need to lock your home office door altogether, it’s best that everyone knows that you aren’t to be bothered when you’re actually working.
8. Make Sure You Have Everything You Need
How well-organized is your home office? Is consulting a file simple and fast, or do you find you need to dig through trays and trays of paper? The easier it is to get things done, the less likely a person is to procrastinate. Organizing your office may be enough to make these working seem appealing again.
Usually countering procrastination directly relates to understanding why you’re procrastinating. But it can also be symptoms of other issues, such as being too disorganized, or having too much of a workload to begin with. If you need to start organizing and prioritizing your life, start today. Check out Get Organized Wizard for more information.
